Starlight Pass
Starlight Pass Bark watched curiously as her litterbrother stalked a small fieldmouse. "What are you doing?" She asked. The mouse turned around, hearing her voice, saw the two pups, and scrambled into the shrubbery. Tuft glared at Bark. "Why won't you get lost? I was practicing my hunting skills, and you messed it up! Grr..." Bark was hurt from her brother's comment. She lowered her gray head and padded over to her Mother Dog. The beautiful red husky, Blaze nuzzles her pup. "Don't worry about your brother. He just was disappointed that he couldn't catch the mouse. I'm sure he didn't mean anything personal." Blaze licked Bark's muzzle. Bark licked back. She whimpered, and settled down. "Tell me a story about the Spirit Dogs, Mother Dog!" Bark suddenly cried. Tuft, outside, rushed in when he heard about the story. "Yes, Mother Dog! Please!" Blaze laughed. "Alright, my pups. Let me see... What about a story about the Sun Dog?" " Yes! " "The Sun Dog, as you know, travels across the sky every day to his den. Then, the Moon Dog takes his place. But once, there was a time when the Sun Dog wanted to stay and play with the Sky Dogs..." The pups listened with careful attention as the red husky continued the story. Chapter 1 Feather woke to an alarmed bark outside her den. "Amethyst! Please! Please! Wake up, brother! Amethyst?!! AMETHYST!!" Feather leapt to her paws and raced to the scene. There was Current, a lean, furry, white dog who was furiously shaking Amethyst. Amethyst appeared to be silent and still. He was dead. Current was whimpering, and a crowd of dogs formed to see what happened. Then, the white dog suddenly got savage. In her agony, she screamed piercing howls, and lunged at the closest dog to her. It was Nebula. Nebula was a small swift dog with dark brindle. She recoiled, pushing back into the other dogs behind her. The mad white-furred dog snarled and spit. "Who did this! Who did this! I will avenge my brother and kill whoever did this to him!" Current gnashed her teeth at the startled pack members. Alpha shoved by, snarling at Current. He was not happy. "How dare you put the pack in danger? I am your Alpha, and I get to make decisions. I know how terrible it is that happened to your brother, but you have no right to lash out at other dogs. You, Current, will be punished with being last to eat. After Omega." His fierce gaze met her eyes, and Feather noticed that Current's eyes showed fear. Alpha trudged back to his spot, then ordered the pack to bury Amethyst in the grave clearing. "There seems to be no injuries, so he couldn't have been murdered. But he isn't quite old either. Hmmmm..." Alpha mused. Feather couldn't help but agree with him. What could've Amethyst died from? The thought haunted her through to evening, when the Hunters, including herself, had brought back a good amount of prey. They had caught a few voles, a squirrel, two rabbits, and a deer. "Now, Pack. Let us have a Great Howl to thank the Forest Dog for our bountiful meal, and to ask the Earth Dog to take care of Amethyst, our post one." Alpha started, his rich, earthy voice surrounding them all in warm comfort of safety. Beta chimes in, mellowing out the Bowl with her clear, higher howl that sounded like a woven stream through the deeper voice of Alpha. Next, Java. Then, Ridge. They all made harmony, creating the Dogs themselves to run around the Pack, listening and taking honor in the beauty. To be continued....